Electric switch



Jan, 1, 1924 -1,479,577

E. G. K. ANDERSON ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed June 30, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet lgli; 111:15' q INVENTO? ATTORNEY Jan. 1, 1924v 7 1,479,577

E. G.t K. ANDERSON ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed June 50, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented l, 1924.

JUNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

lERNST G. K.VANDEBSN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, T0 APPLETON ELECTRIC CO., -OI@ CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,A-CORIO'RATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC swrrcn.

Application filed June 30, 1919. Serial N0. 307,650.

To all whom it mag/concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST G. K. ANDER- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and, State ofIllinois, have invented cer ain new and -useful Improvements in Ele tricSwitches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description'thereof, reference being had to the acm companyingdrawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

This inventionrelates to improvements in electric switches and refersmore particular-V 1y to that form of switch4 illustrated in my rior aplication for United States Letters atent erial Number 226,419, filedApril 3, 1918, wherein the vactuating device for the switch is soconstructed and associated with the switch elements that the switch isopened and closed by the same movement of said actuating` device,regardless lof whether the,

switch be opened or closed at a given time. As shown in said priorapplication, the movement ofv the actuatingdeviee is anniversal swingingmovement and also an axial movment; and the' actuating device isautomatically restored to normal position after l each operation.Associated with the movable switch element or blade is a spring elementwhich serves, upon operation of the actuating device, to qulckly throwthe switch blade past its center of movement and to its full open or itsfull closed position, the actuating device being automatically restoredto position Ato reverse the direction of throw of the switch blade inthe .next operation thereof.

The present invention relates to improvements which adapt the essentialelements of my aforesaid invention to a given switch structure. f

In the drawings,

' Figure 1 is `a vertical section of a switch and its switch mounting,on the line 1-1 of-Figure 3.

Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3` is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Figure -1.

AFigure 4 is a vertical section on 4the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking inthe direction of the indicating arrows.

Figure 5 is a. perspective lview lof the switch blade mounting frame.

Figure A6 is a perspective view of the switch actuatin p unger.

Figures 7 an 8 are fragmentary details illustrating the essentialelements of the switch mechanism in different positions.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the swinging switch blade.

Figures 1() and 1 1 are details of said blade, Figure 10 bein taken onthe line 10-10 of Figure 11, and igure 11 being an edge ele- Vation ofsaid blade.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a`controller member of the switchreversing element.

l Figure 13 is a perspective View of a spring actuated switch bladethrow-over plunger.

Figures 14 and 15 are, respectively, a plan view and a sectional View,.the latter on thel line 15-15 of Figure 14, of the oscillating switchreversing element. y

As shown in the drawings, the switch mechanism is enclosed by andsupported on aninsula'ting base comprising top and bottom members 21,20, respectively. 25 (Figure 5,), designates a hollow, rectangular framethat is supported inthe base and projects ;therefrom (Figur'esal, 3 and4). It has an inwardly extended ,base 26 provided with an aperture 27which receives a rivet or stud 28 to hold the frame' in place. 'Theinner. end of the base is reduced in width and 1s fofmed with upwardlyextending, rearward y curved arms 29, 30 that are provided withregistering apertures 31. The rear wall of the frame 25V is providedwith an opening 32 (Figuresl, 7, and 8), through ,which extends auniversally movable actuating device 33, which, as shown, has the formof a tube, and is provided with a Hat seat or flange 35 adaptedto engagea corresponding normally parallel seat portion -36 of a lunger 37(Figure 6). Said plunger 37 as. a horizontal guide portionfcomprising anarrow member 40 that is joinedto the vertical seat portion 36 b a widerhorizontal member 100 41, and the gui e'fmember fits andslides onv l thebase 26'of the frame 25.

45, 45 designate fixed switch terminals that cooperate with a swingingswitchl blade which comprises a yoke shaped member 47 105 that is ivotedby the pivot pin 4B which .ex 4tends t rough theapertures 49 of the armsof the blade and through the apertures 31 of v the arms 29, 30 of theframe 25. The, U- shaped terminal member 46 of the Switch 110 blade fitsover the yoke shaped blade 47. llt

is insulated therefrom by the ls-shaped insulating strips 50 whichtogether with said terminal member, are fixed to the swinging blade, byears 51 that are inte al with the switch blade 47 and are fol edinwardly over the insulatin strips 50, which latter, in turn, overlie te closed portion' of the switch blade 47. The said closed portion of thelll-shaped switch blade 47 is formed with an opening 52. which registerswith, but is smaller than, an opening 53 in the closed portion of theU-shaped terminal 46, as best shown in Figures 9 and 10. rllhe openings52, 53 are provided for thepassage of the shank 54 of a throw-overplunger (Figure 13) that is provided with a head 55 formed with adownwardly opening notch 56 for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

60 designates a rockin reversing member for the switch blade. t ispivoted on the pivot pin 48 and lies between the lower ends of the armsof the blade. member comprises two parallel plates 61 which areconnected by' a lower cross member 62'and upper cross members/64, 65integral with said plates; and the plates are provided withregisteringopenings 61 forthe passage of the pivot pin 48. The' lowercross member 62 forms inwardlyv and outwardly facing shoulders 66, 67,respectively, and the 'upper cross member 64 forms an outwardly facingshoulder 68, for purposes hereinafter to be described. One of the plates61 is providedvwith an extension 69,

forming a downwardly facing shoulder 70. Both of said plates are formedat their outer sides with guide extensions 71 for a purpose to behereinafter described.

75 designates a controller member which comprises an outwardly extendingshank 76 and two inwardly extending fork arms 77, 78, respectively, thatare formed at their inner ends with recesses 79, 80, respectively. Thesaid controller member is provided between said shank and fork arms witha cross arm 81 that is flat on its outer surface 82 to fit flat againstthe inner face of the dange 36 of the operating plunger 37. Said flange360i the p unger 1s provided with a central uide opening 83 outwardlythrough which t e shank 76 of the controller member loosely extends andby which itis guided in operative movement.

rllhe controller member 75 is held in nor-l mal position when theactuating device 33 is in its normal horizontal position with the flatface 82 of its cross arm 81 in contact with the Harige 36 of the plungerby a sprin 85, coiled between its ends, the outer en vot which extendsthrough an opening in the controller member` and the inner transverseportion 87 of which extends through registering openings 88 in theupstanding arms 29, 30 of the frame 25. 'llhe said arms 29, 30

Said reversing s Leraar? troller member in the position shown in Figure1 and to return said member from the position indicated in Figures 7 and8 to that shown in Figures 1 and 4. rlFhe spring 85, thus acting on thecontroller member serves, through the plunger 37, to restore theactuating member to its position when the latter is released.

The controller member 75 controls the operation of the switch reversingdevice 60 when the yactuating handle is swung for forced inwardly by theengagement ot 'the recessed ends 79, 80, of the arms 77,78,respectively, with the shoulders 68, 67, respectively of the switchreversing member, as indicated in Figures 1,- 4 and 15". The notched endof the head'55 of the throwover plunger engages with the cross member ofsaid reversing member, as best shown in Figures 1,4, 7, and 8. A'spring90 surrounding the shank of said throw-over plunger? and interposedbetween the closed portion of the yoke shaped switch blade 47 and saidhead 55 serves expansively to normally hold said switch blade at one ofthe cxtreme positions of its movement, as indicated -in Figures 1 and 4,andalso to throw the switch blade quickly from one position to the otherwhen said inner end of the plunger swings past the plane of the pivotThe spring 90- and its `associated plunger, therefore, constitutesmeans. for yieldingly holding the switch blade at the extreme positionsof its movement and for automatically and quickly throwing the bladepast. its center of movement.

One of the upstanding arms of the frame 25 (the arm 30 shown) isprovided on its inner face with a stop lug 92 whichis adapted to beengaged either by the shoulder ot the projection 69 of the switchreversing devices in one eXtreme position-ot the switch blade, as shownin Figure 1, or to be en-v gaged by the shoulder66 ott' the cross member62 of said reversing device in the other extreme position of the blade28, as'shown in Figure 4.

rl`he operation of the as follows:

ln Figures 1', 2, and 3, the actuating dcvice 33, the controller member75,' and the switch reversing member 6() are in the normal positionswhich they occupy when the switch is open. ln these positions of theparts the recessed portion of the' fork arm 78 of the controller memberis engagedwith the shoulder 67 of the lower cross member 62 of therocking switch reversing member, and the other fork arm 77 ot thecontroller member lies between the guide projections 71 of the laterallyseparated plates 61l of said reversing member. ln the position of switchmechanism is lll) -hold the latter away from the fixed switch terminals45 thereof. The opening movenient pf, the switch isrlimited byengagements ofv horns 95 on the lower endsot the arms of the switchblade with a shoulder 96 formed by the inwardly facing edge of the topwall of the frame 25. The movement of the reversing member 60, in theposition of the parts shown in Figure 1 is limited by engagement of theshoulder 70 with the stop 92 of the arm 30.

lu 4 v f, now the actuating member 33 be either pushed inwardly or beswung about its pivot,

it will have the effect to turnthe reversing member in the directionindicated by the arrow on Figure 1. In thus turning the reversing memberthe lower end of the plunger 54, seated on the cross piece 65 of thereversing member, is caused to move outwardly towards the actuatingdevice 33 lin a curved path. This movement of` the plunger causes it tobe extended through the openings in the closed lend of the switch bladeand laces the spring90 under coinpression. en the lower or headed end ofthe plunger passes the center of its arc of movementl or just after .ithas passed the plane of the pivot pin 48, the power of the spring, undercom ression, serves to uickly throw the switch b ade downwardly withlthe terminal blades 46 into contact with the fixed terminals 45 andthereby closes thc switch (Figure 4). The closing movement of the switchblade is limited by engagement cfa second pair .of horns 98 withshoulders 99 formed on the inner edge of the bottom .wallof the frame 25at thesides of the switch blade suportin `arms 29 Iand 30. Movement ofthe reversing member in the direction which it is moved in the closingmovement of the switch is arrested by contact of the shoulder 66 of thecross member "62 of said reversing member with 'said stop vlug 92, asindicated in'dotted lines in Figure 4. After the switch has thus beenmoved from open to closed osition and the actuating device 33 releasethe spring 85 serves to restore the controller-member 75 andtherethrough the said actuating device 33.

The operation of the parts to open the switch from its closed ositionshown in 'Figure 4 is the reverse o that just described. From aninspection of Figure 4, it will be noted that the -recessed end 79 koftheupper fork arm 77 of the controller memberis in contact with theshoulder '68 of the reversing member so that inward movement of thecontroller member acts to rock the reversin i member and to carry tlleheaded end o the plunger 54 inwardly past the plane of 'the axis of thepivot pin 48,

tact of the horns 95 with the shoul er 96 above referred to, and therocking movement of the reversing member 60 is arrested by contact ofthe shoulder 70 thereof with the stop lug 92 hereinbefore referred to. i

It will thus be observed that the same movement of the actuating device33, whether it be a swinging movement in all the directions in which itis capable of swinging or whether it be an endwise movement, has theeffect to operate t-he controller member and the reversing member 60 inaway toswing the inner end of the throwover plunger 54 ast the plane ofthe pivot member 48 on which the reversing member rocks, so that thespring 90 may quickly throw the switch blade 47 from either limit of itsmovement to the other, regardless of whether the switch be o n orclosed.

The elements for con uctin the current from the switch elements to t ecenter and shell conductors 105, 106, respectively, for the lamp may beof any known `or preferred form and need not be further described.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric switch, the combination with a swinging switch memberand its c coperating fixed terminal, a rocking reversing device, aspring controlled plunger operatively connected between said revers-'atively connected to t e reversing mem er,

and means for tip ing and reciprocating said controller mem er.

3. with a swinging switch member and its cooperating fixed terminal, avrocking reversing device, a sprinv controlled plunger operativelyconnected between said reversing device Aand said switch member, a con-In an electric switch, the combinationv troller member mounted fortipping and. v

reciprocating movement and operatively` connected at one end to thereversing inem-'- ber, and an actuating device mounted for` universalswinging movement having a. fla-t vio ,swinging switch member to arrestit at each extreme limit of its movement, a controller 4member coactingwith said reversing member on opposite sides of the rocking axis, and anactuated member coacting with said controller member.

5. lin an electric switch, the combination with a swinging switch memberand its cooperating tixed terminal, a rocking reversing device, a springcontrolled plunger operatively connected between said reversing de-`vice and said swinging switch member, a frame on which said swingingswitch member is mounted, said :trame being provided 'with stopshoulders adapted to cooperate with the swinging switch member-to arrestit at each extreme limit of its movement, a controller member mounted`:tor tipping and reciprocatory movement and adapted at one end forcoaction with the reversing'membei', said controller member beingprovided at its other end with a dat face and an actuating membermounted tor universal swinging and axial movement and adapted tocooperate witli the flat face of the controller member.

6. lin an electric switch, the combination with a frame provided witharms, and lixed terminals, of a swinging switch member cooperating witlisaid fixed terminals and pivoted to said arms, a rockin reversing membermounted to rock on t e swinging axis of the switch member, spring meansto connect said reversing member to the switch member to throw thelatter from one extreme position to the other, a controller membermounted on the frame for tipping K and reciprocatory movement, and meansfor actuating said controller member.

7. lin an electric switch, the combination with a frame providedvwitharms, and fixed terminals, of a swinging switch member cooperating withsaid oted to said arms, a rocking reversing member, spring meansto'connect said reversing member to the switch member to throwthe'latter from one extreme position oit its movement to the other,- acontroller member mounted on the trame tor tippin and reciprocatorymovement, said contro er mem? ber being provided with a straight facedportion, a plunger slidable in said trame Xed terminals and piv-k andprovided with a dange to engage said straight faced portion, and anactuating device pivoted on said frame for universal swinging movementand having a dat seat to engage said plunger flange. y

` 8. ln an electric switch the combination with a swinging switchmember,\oi a rocking reversing member, la spring controlled plungerengaging a shoulder on the reversing member and slidable i'ireelythrough the switch member, with a spring surrounding the plunger andinterposed between the switch member and a shoulder Aon the plunger, andmeans to alternately engage said reversing member on opposite sides ofits rocking axis tork impartingv alternate rocking movement thereto. l

9. lin an electric switch, the combination with aswinging switch member,of a` rocking reversingmember, a spring controlled plunger engaging alshoulder on the reversing member andslidable freely through the switchmember, with la spring surroundiiiiv the plunger 'and interposed betweensai switch member anda shoulder on the plun' 10;- ln anl electricswitch, a frame., a lllshaped switch blade pivoted to said trame,

a rocking reversing member pivoted on the swinging axis of said blade,a; plunger en-v gaging a shoulder on said actuating device an slidablethrough the U-shaped blade,

with a spring surrounding it and interposed.,

between said blade and a shoulder on the k plunger, horns on the switchbladeadapted to engage Ashoulders on the frame tofarrest 'said blade atboth limits oit its movement,

and aV single device normally disconnected from said' reversing memberto alternately rock saidr reversing member on its pivot.

ll. lin an electric switch, a frame, a U- shaped switch blade pivotedtosaid frame,

a rocking reversing member, 'a plunger en` gagin a shoulder on saidmember and slid- `able t rough the lll-shaped blade, with a springsurrounding it and interposed jbetween said blade and a shoulder on thelplunger, horns on the switch blade adapted-to engage shoulders on thetrame ,to arrestsaidf lll@ rec

blade at'both limits oilits movement, a cone." troller member mountedilor tipping and vrei ciprocatory movement on .said iframe and4`provided with forked v armsi which-engage 'shoulders on the reversingmember-atnppo--- site sides oitits pivotal axis, and ins tor actuatingsaidv controller member. l "l2, lin an electric switch, a trame,.a U-

sliaped switch blade pivoted to said trame,

a rocking reversing member pivoted to the .swinging axis of said blade,a plunger engaging a shoulder on said actuating device and slidablethrough the U-shaped blade, with a spring surrounding it and interposedbetween said blade and a shoulder on the plunger, means to arrest theswitch blade at both limits of its movement, a controller member mountedfor tipping and reciprocatory movement on said frame and provided withforked arms which engage shoulders onthe reversing member at oppositesides of its pivotal axis, said controller member being provided with astraight faced portion, a plunger slidable in the frame and having astraight portion adapted for engagement with the straight portion oft-he controller member, and an actuating member mounted for universalswinging movement in the frame, said controller member being providedwith ashank which extends through a guide opening in said flange of theplunger and into the actuating member.

131 An electric switch comprising a base,

fixed terminals mounted thereon, a swinging switch blade supported onthe base for con- A tact with 'the lixed terminals, a` rocking reversingdevice mounted on the swinging axis of said blade, a spring actuatedthrow-over plunger connecting sald reversing vdevice to said switchblade, and means to alternately act on said reversing device on oppositesides of its axis for alternately rocking said reversing device.

14. An electric switch comprising a base, fixed terminals'mountedthereon, a swinging switch blade supported on the base for contact withthe fixed terminals, a rocking reversing device mounted on the swingingaxis of said blade, a spring actuated throw-over plunger connecting saidreversing device to the switch blade, and an actuating device mountedfor universal swinging movement on the base for actuating said reversingdevice.

In testimony whereof I claim the foregoing as my invention, I hereuntoappend my signature at Chicago,

of June, 1919.

ERNST G. '1K-.ANDERSON Illinois this 25th day'

